Private Chefs: Personalizing Your Dining

Food is as much a centerpiece of our social occasions as the conversation itself. But the stress of preparing, serving, and cleaning up a meal can greatly detract from one’s ability to relax and enjoy the gathering. The solution: private chef services. Luckily, in Jackson Hole, the options here are as numerous as the hiking trails in summer. So we break down four Jackson companies that are lightening your workload and bringing you an endless array of options, right in the comfort of your own home.

Chef Bill Boney started Dining In Catering in 1994. Since then, he’s been delivering creative menus in a delicious, efficient and professional manner to groups of all sizes. Dining In prides itself on performing in challenging locations throughout Jackson Hole, with themes like local sourcing and Wild West barbecue. Think cocktail parties, open houses, corporate functions, fundraisers, the sky is the limit. Entrees range from fowl to seafood, and wild game to vegetarian options, with everything in between. Start with a concept, and let Dining In Catering execute it.

At Incredible Edibles, their private chef services add a personal touch and local expertise to your meal. Accommodating clients with special request and dietary needs, the Incredible Edibles team starts by inquiring what types of food or cuisine the client does or does not enjoy. From there, they customize a menu to fit your needs and concerns. With over thirty years of experience, Karen Martin and her team have developed an impeccable reputation with locals and visitors for their catering and private chef services. They’ve performed an incredible range of outdoor events: from passed hors d’ouevres on a boat on Jenny Lake to a couple’s winter sleigh ride meal. Karen has a passion for food and entertaining that translates to her creative approach to such events. She adds that an additional benefit of having a private chef, for visitors, is getting a built-in concierge who is familiar with the area simultaneously.

At Mountains of Groceries, Ashley Watson serves as the liason between private chefs and guests who are looking for one. Ashley gathers the necessary information: number of kids and adults, whether a separate kid’s meal is needed, dietary restrictions, number of courses, and when and where the event is located. This information is passed along to potential chefs, who give Ashley a menu and price. From there, the client and Ashley work together to select the right fit. Bartenders and servers are available for hire as well. Enjoy your company and avoid the work, as Mountains of Groceries coordinates your sustenance.

Unprocessed Kitchen divides their private chef services into two categories: in house preparation and drop off meal delivery. Meal delivery is super convenient, great for small groups, very casual, and comes with instructions. Meals prepared in your home can be as formal or informal as you prefer, and meals may be coursed out or served family style. With this service, you get all the services of a restaurant in the comfort of your own home or vacation rental. There are options for all budgets and themes. For example, Unprocessed Kitchen has offered their private chef services at a bonfire party and a breakfast “hangover” party. Whatever the occasion, as chef and owner Alicia Brieger says, “You wish it, we dish it.”

So what’ll it be: a picnic by the river, romantic sleigh ride snacks, or breakfast burritos for your crew to cure their Gaper Day hangover? If you have the forethought to call one of these private chefs, they’ll elevate your occasion and alleviate your stress. Chances are, if you can imagine it, they can execute it.

About Author

Raised in the land of casseroles and deep fried cheese curds, Sam Simma left rural Wisconsin for the mountains of Wyoming in summer 2012. Her appetite for adventure is the only thing that rivals her passion for food. She has always used writing to document and critique her travel and dining experiences. Her warmest memories among family and friends have been associated with the food that was at the center of the occasion. From staging cooking shows with siblings to perfecting turtle brownies with her dad, today Sam enjoys connecting people over food by hosting cookie decorating parties, wine pairing nights, and Midwest-inspired potlucks. A dessert fanatic, she has come to impress friends and family with key lime pies, Oreo bon bons, and Snickers ice cream cakes that are far simpler than they could ever imagine. Shhh! Don’t tell.